Pandemic tourism: Thailand launches Phuket ‘sandbox’ plan

Thailand has opened the favored resort island of Phuket to totally vaccinated foreigners from lower-risk international locations in a bold however dangerous plan that it hopes will breathe new life right into a tourism business devastated by the pandemic.

PHUKET, Thailand — Thailand launched into an bold however dangerous plan Thursday that it hopes will breathe new life right into a tourism business devastated by the pandemic, opening the favored resort island of Phuket to totally vaccinated foreigners from lower-risk international locations.

As the primary flight arrived, airport fireplace vans blasted their water canons to kind an arch over the Etihad jet from Abu Dhabi because it taxied to its gate.

Leaving the airport, Frenchman Bruno Souillard mentioned he had been dreaming for a 12 months of returning to Thailand and jumped on the alternative.

“I’m very, very joyful,” the 60-year-old vacationer mentioned.

The so-called “Phuket sandbox” program comes as coronavirus infections are surging in Thailand, together with a major variety of instances of the Delta variant, and plenty of have questioned if it is too early to woo vacationers again, and whether or not they’ll are available important numbers in any case because of the restrictions they’re going to nonetheless face.

However the variety of new instances on the island itself is extraordinarily low, within the single digits day by day, and greater than 70% of its residents are absolutely vaccinated. The federal government is playing that vacationers might be prepared to place up with coronavirus-related laws for the chance for a seashore vacation after being cooped up of their house international locations for months.

Earlier than the pandemic, the tourism sector made up some 20% of Thailand’s economic system, and 95% of Phuket’s revenue.

The resort island off the southern coast noticed fewer than a half million guests within the first 5 months, and nearly no foreigners, in comparison with greater than 3 million throughout the identical interval final 12 months together with some 2 million foreigners.

In a nod to the significance of the “sandbox” plan, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha flew to Phuket to be readily available in individual for the launch.

Final-minute hitches in a few of the program particulars and cautions from authorities that if instances begin to rise on the island extra restrictions could also be wanted — or it might need to be shut down fully — meant some cancelations earlier than it even started. Fewer than 250 worldwide vacationers had been anticipated on the primary day in comparison with the preliminary goal of 1,500.

However because the kinks are labored out and folks report their first-hand experiences, authorities are eager for a gentle enhance within the numbers. From July 1-15, there are at the moment 1,101 lodge bookings for a complete of 13,116 room overnights.

Vacationers to different components of Thailand are topic to a strict 14-day lodge room quarantine, however underneath the sandbox plan, guests to Phuket might be allowed to roam the whole island — the nation’s largest — the place they will lounge on the white seashores, jet ski and luxuriate in evenings consuming out in eating places, though golf equipment and bars stay closed.

Solely guests from international locations thought of no larger than “low” or “medium” danger — a listing at the moment together with most of Europe and the Mideast, the U.S., Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand — are permitted, and so they should fly in on to Phuket, although plans are within the works to permit rigorously managed transfers by way of Bangkok’s airport.

Following the inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi, passengers had been anticipated to reach later Thursday from Qatar, Israel and Singapore.

Grownup overseas guests should present proof of two vaccinations, a adverse COVID-19 take a look at not more than 72 hours earlier than departure, and proof of an insurance coverage coverage that covers therapy for the virus of at the very least $100,000, amongst different issues. As soon as on the island, they need to observe masks and distancing laws and take three COVID-19 assessments at their very own expense — about $300 whole — and present adverse outcomes.

After 14 days, guests can journey elsewhere in Thailand.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Related Press author Chalida Ekvittayavechnukul in Bangkok contributed to this report.